Dental Specialties

Prosthodontist

A prosthodontist is a specialist trained in restoring and replacing missing teeth and promoting attractive smiles. Dentists qualify as prosthodontists after an extra three years of training after leaving dental school.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

Specialist surgeon, who is responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of problems of the neck, mouth, face, and jaws. Some of the procedures executed by the oral and maxillofacial surgeon are:

Removal of impacted teeth

Surgery involving face and jaw reconstruction

Jaw alignment

Post-trauma realignment of the facial bones

Using dental implants for teeth replacement

Tooth Extraction

Facial trauma correction

Diagnosis and extraction of jaw, oral or facial tumors

TMJ surgery for repairing jaw joints

Periodontist

Periodontists are specialist dentists who detect and treat all cases of gums diseases and handle placement of dental implants. Your dentist will usually refer you to a see a periodontist when it is evident that your gum has deteriorated severely due to decay, implants, or cosmetics. Periodontists and dentists usually work as a team to design appropriate treatment regimes for individual patients.

Orthodontists

Orthodontists are specialist dentists who have the responsibility of using braces, retainers, etc., to align deformed jaws and straighten crooked teeth. Such defects such as spacing, crowding, protrusion, etc., are usually genetic. Others are caused by accidents, missing primary or secondary teeth, and bad habits like prolonged thumb sucking.

Pediatric Dentists

Pediatric dentists are specially trained dentists dedicated to the maintenance of good dental health of children. They have the right qualification and experience to manage the care of a child’s gums, teeth, and mouth. Their offices, staff, etc., are all geared towards the comfort of children. Dentists who want to qualify as pediatric dentists must attend an extra two years of specialist training after dental school.

Endodontist

An endodontist is a specialist concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of problems inside the mouth – root canal, pulp, etc. Before qualification, endodontists receive an extra 2 – 3 years of training in endodontics after leaving dental school.